earn her own living, Lady
Caroline; and I really must beg that you and Margaret will set
yourselves to remove it."

"Really, Philip! Quite a tirade!"

Lady Caroline laughed delicately as she spoke, and passed a lace
handkerchief across her lips as though to brush away a smile. She was a
little puzzled and rather vexed, but she did not wish to show her true
opinion of Sir Philip and his views.

"And so," she went on, "you said all this to my poor child; harrowed her
feelings and wounded her self-respect, and insisted on it that she
should go round Beaminster explaining that it was her fault and not
Janetta Colwyn's that Miss Polehampton acted in so absurdly arbitrary a
manner!"

"You choose to put it in that way," said Sir Philip, drawing down his
brows, "and I cannot very well contradict you; but I venture to think,
Lady Caroline, that you know quite well what I mean."

"I should be glad if you would put it into plain words. You wish
Margaret--to do--what?"

"I very much wish that she would go to Miss Morrison and explain to her
why Miss Colwyn left school. There is no need that she should take any
blame upon herself. You must confess that it was she who took the law
into her own hands, Lady Caroline; Miss Colwyn was perfectly ready to
submit. And I think that as this occurrence has been made the ground for
refusing to give Miss Colwyn the work that she urgently needs, it is
Miss Adair's plain duty to try at least to set the matter right. I do
not see why she should refuse."

"You have no pride yourself, I suppose? Do you suppose that Mr. Adair
would allow it?"

"Then you might do it for her, Lady Caroline," said Sir Philip, turning
round on her, with his winning, persuasive manner, of which even at that
moment she felt the charm. "It would be so easy for you to explain it
quietly to Miss Morrison, and ask her to give that poor girl a place in
her school! Who else could do it better? If Margaret is not--not quite
strong enough for the task, then will you not help us out of our
difficulty, and do it for her?"

"Certainly not, Sir Philip. Your request seems to me exceedingly
unreasonable. I do not in the least believe that Miss Morrison has
refused to take her for that reason only. There is some other, you may
depend upon it. I shall not interfere."

"You could at least give her a strong recommendation."

"I know nothing about the girl except that she sings fairly well," said
Lady Caroline, in a hard, dete